I Choose You
by wubbzy
Summary: They only passed by each other once, but somehow, he seemed far too familiar for her to only know him from that one moment he asked for directions. "And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you, and I'd choose you." Advanceshipping.


**Summary:** They only passed by each other once, but somehow, he seemed far too familiar for her to only know him from that one moment he asked for directions. "And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you, and I'd choose you." Advanceshipping. Coffee Shop AU.

 _Recommendation(s):_ Pokemon Movie: I Choose You ending theme (just look at the credits and you'll understand that that's what inspired this fic. James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go

 _AN:_ May and Ash are in their late teens, like 18. This should be a happier fic for other's who read my previous one posted today lol. This is for all the Advancers that are far away, but are still in my heart every day - "I choose you." 3 Happy Advanceshipping Day. :)

 _"The hardest thing about moving forward is leaving something behind, and usually it's a part of ourselves."_

.

 **I Choose You**

.

.

 _I choose you..._

.

May relaxed, feeling at home in the small hole in the wall coffee shop she found on Alola. She took a sip of her tea and a bite of her vanilla flavored macaroon.

Truth be told, this was the first time she walked into this shop, but she felt as though she had been there for a whole lifetime.

The shop had a way of drawing her in when she first walked by, the inside bringing up warm feelings that made her instantly feel comfortable and at home in such a dainty cafe. She was on vacation, far away from home, yet it still felt homey.

That's what the smell of fresh tea brought up as the warm brew wafted her senses the heat and flavor tinging her tongue.

No wonder this coffee shop was marked as one of the best across all the regions. For not only was the coffee and tea savory and delicious, but the whole atmosphere brought her a warmth she could not explain, a feeling of complete quiescence. She was content simply enjoying the atmosphere and the easy going attitude of the people that surrounded her.

Even when it was busy, the conversations, the brewing coffee, the light sonata playing on the speakers, the digging of the bell, indicating an order was ready… it all seemed to blend into a harmonious symphony that caressed her eardrums in a way she could not explain.

She shut her eyes, taking it all in.

She heard a distinct ding coming from the door, meaning someone else walked in, but she paid no mind, too busy adoring the shop.

She would have to write an incredible review for her blog.

It was so nice, she would have never expected for anyone to come up to her so abruptly.

.  
 _Hello, stranger  
_ _Don't I know you?  
_.

"Hey, can I sit with you while I wait for my drink?" a gentle but masculine voice asked. May looked up from her tea and froze for a few seconds, trying to decipher why the familiarity in his face was so prominent.

He had zig-zag like lines on his cheeks, his complexion tan and his eyes appearing to her like melted chocolate. His smile was endearing, friendly and polite.

But that wasn't what made her lost for words.

His features... they were unique from anyone she had ever met. Still, she recognized him from somewhere. But she couldn't put her finger on it.

She moved her eyes to the yellow pokemon sitting on his shoulder. A Pikachu. It was smiling at her, waiting with its trainer for a response.

Her eyes stopped on both, looking between the two. She blushed, however, when she realized she kept him and his pikachu waiting for a response. She brushed her hair away from her eyes, ducking her head down a little so her straw hat could cover her heated cheeks.

"Sure," she finally said, her voice a little too high and now her heart beating a little too fast. He smiled, giving a small thanks before sitting down. His eyes held a glint of recognition before it vanished, and he looked away, watching the barista make his cappuccino. She watched his eyes tentatively look at the steam rise from the coffee machine.

"Hey, are you from around here?" he asked her suddenly turning his neck just enough to see her from the corner of his eye. May tilted her head before she shook her head.

"No, I'm just traveling," she explained. He smiled, looking her way.

"Traveling? Are you a trainer by any chance?" he asked, his eye brightening at the thought.

May shook her head no. "No, I'm just traveling. I like to go to different regions and try different types of food. It's a hobby of mine," May explained. He nodded understandingly.

"Oh, so like a connoisseur?"

"Nothing official like that," May corrected, a slight giggle in her voice. "I usually just write about it on my food and travel blog." Ash nodded.

"Oh, okay. I thought you might have been a trainer I battled before or something," he laughed. May's ears perked, wondering if she seemed familiar to him too. She wanted to comment on this, when he spoke up again. "I'm Ash by the way, and this is my best friend, Pikachu! I'm a pokemon trainer. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm May. It's nice to meet you too," May said, also waving to Pikachu, although a bit reluctant. Pikachu simply jumped on her lap, surprising both Ash and May. May yelped, completely off guard.

"Pikachu, what are you doing?" Ash asked, confused.

"Pika!" Pikachu said, smiling happily on her lap, seeming to get comfortable. Ash looked at Pikachu questioningly. Ash looked at May who seemed hesitant.

"Are you okay? Pikachu, what are you thinking?" May nodded.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm just not… too used to pokemon," May informed, embarrassed by the confession. Ash nodded. "I'm actually just surprised is all. I don't think many pokemon like me," May said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck as she got used to petting Pikachu.

"What? No way, are you serious?" he questioned, completely in disbelief. May felt self-conscious suddenly, twiddling her fingers together with a tinge of pink adorned on her cheeks.

"I mean, I have a Torchic. It was my first pokemon… but that's all I have." May inwardly cringed, wondering why she was telling him so much when he probably didn't even care about that. However, on the contrary, Ash seemed fascinated by this.

"Wow, so you're not a trainer. Sorry, this may seem weird, but I'm trying to figure out where I know you," he admitted, giving a hardy chuckle. May smiled, relieved.

"Really? You seem familiar too. I'm glad I'm not the only one," May said, unknowingly getting comfortable with Pikachu on her lap, who she would subconsciously pet.

"Ash Ketchum?" the barista called, placing his cappuccino on the counter for him to take.

He looked over, before turning to May and Pikachu.

"Let's continue this once I grab my coffee," Ash said before standing up. May smiled, feeling nervous, yet a strange feeling of closeness with him. She was grateful that he started up a conversation with her, he was so friendly and nice. She flipped her hair a little, padding it down a little too, hoping the wind from earlier didn't cause it to frizz.

Pikachu stayed on May's lap, as if it was somewhere he was meant to be.

.  
 _I've been looking and looking  
_ _High and low  
_.

When he came back, she noticed he ordered a pair of every flavor of macaron.

"I bought a platter of macarons, would you like to try some?" Ash asked, placing the plate down. May's eyes immediately brightened, her mouth watering.

"Thank you," May said, looking at him before grabbing one. "These are my favorite."

"They're mine too!" Pikachu jumped off May, before moving to Ash's legs. Ash grinned, grabbing half of his macaron and giving it to Pikachu.

"Here you go, buddy. You like it?" Pikachu took a big bite.

"Pika!" Pikachu answered, taking another bite. When Ash looked up, the two locked eyes.

"So, are you from around here?" May questioned. Ash shook his head.

"No, I'm actually from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. I'm in Alola because I used to go to school here. Plus… Okay, first I have to tell you that there's never been a pokemon league here in Alola. But did you know that that's going to change? They're finally starting a pokemon league here!" May looked surprised, completely off the Pokemon grid. She only heard the little bit her brother would call her to say from time to time.

"When it comes to pokemon, I'm pretty much a blank slate!" May admitted, rather embarrassed. Ash quirked his eyebrows together.

"Wow, that's so strange. I've never met anyone like you," Ash said. "Everyone I know likes pokemon," Ash said, contemplating. May blushed, a bit embarrassed by her confession.

"I-it's not like I am against them or anything. I just…" she frowned, her eyes sullen for a second before she continued, "I'm just not really good when it comes to pokemon. Now, if you talk to my family, that's a different story. My younger brother Max _adores_ pokemon, they're his favorite thing, and my dad is a gym leader," May started, talking faster as she began to ramble.

"Wait, your dad is a gym leader?" This peaked Ash's interest.

"Um, yeah. He's the Petalburg gym leader," May elaborated. Then, Ash snapped his fingers.

"That must be it! That's where I recognize you! I was in Hoenn before! I battled Norman and won my balance badge from him!" Ash looked relieved, like he finally cracked the code.

"Well, my dad never let us watch his gym battles because he didn't want to make the trainers nervous," May said, frowning. "So that wouldn't explain how I recognize you." Ash looked disappointed at that.

"Aw man." May giggled, wondering why she felt so at ease with this man. She leaned closer, over the table before grabbing a lemon-flavored macaron and popping it in her mouth.

"So what were you saying about the pokemon league? I only watched the leagues my brother was in," May said, hoping to learn more about this man.

"First, your brother made it to some pokemon leagues?" May nodded.

"Yeah, his name is Max Maple." Ash frowned, not recognizing that name.

"No, I don't think I've ever seen him. He probably didn't participate in the years I did or something," Ash figured. May nodded.

"Oh yeah, so Alola is a little different from other regions like Hoenn or Kanto in that they never had a pokemon league until this year. I'm here to help Professor Kukui set it up. It's going to be really cool because a bunch of my friends are the trial captains. I am really excited to enter the Alolan Pokemon League. My pokemon and I have been training so hard lately." Ash smiled, his eyes flaring with a fire she had never seen before. He looked so passionate when he talked about pokemon and battling. She could tell it was something he was absolutely passionate about.

"It must be amazing knowing what you're meant to do," May said, feeling a little bit envious of him, knowing he was following his dreams. May grew sullen, knowing that she was feeling like something was missing in her life too. Ash grinned.

"Yeah, my dream has always been to become a Pokemon Master. Pikachu and I go to different regions, and as long as we're together, I know our dreams will come true." Her expression softened, feeling the bond between Ash and Pikachu radiate.

They continued sharing stories about their adventures, about his time meeting different kinds of pokemon, different people, and battling. May shared her experiences traveling the world and finding new places to try.

"You've never camped out in the woods?" Ash looked mortified, shocked by her words. May blushed, brushing through her hair.

"Yeah, I never really thought about it before," May elaborated.

"You should try it! Just camping out, under the stars. You hear different pokemon, you feel the fresh air, you look up and see the stars! It's one of the best experiences ever! It's super awesome!" Ash exclaimed, and Pikachu nodded in agreement. May smiled, looking at both Ash and his Pikachu.

"Do you want to pet Pikachu?" Ash guessed, and Pikachu moved closer, a slight smile as he watched her expectantly. May hesitated a bit, before she pet his head.

"Cha!" Pikachu exclaimed, loving the light caress.

"You're really good with pokemon, aren't you?" May observed. Ash smiled, nodding before laughing when Pikachu nuzzled his cheek.

"It's still kind of bothering me that I don't remember where I know you. I feel like I should," May laughed, brushing her bangs aside.

Ash nodded, in full agreement with her.

"Yeah, same. Maybe we can figure it out. How long are you in town?" Ash questioned. May thought for a moment. She never stayed in one place for too long, but she figured there were certain exceptions. This was one of them.

"Well, I was thinking of trying different restaurants for a few more days. I heard there are a lot of great places," May said. Ash's face instantly light up.

"Perfect! I know great places you should try here! I have a few friends here too, one that even works at the best restaurant in all of Alola," Ash said, a warm smile on his face. "I could show you around if you like." May blushed, nodding.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Then it's a date!" Ash said, taking a sip of his coffee. May took a sip of her tea before she smiled, giggling to herself. Both Ash and Pikachu stared at her curiously.

"You know, Ash Ketchum, you remind me of this coffee shop," she started. Ash eyed her questioningly. "Well, the feelings you bring. Sometimes, when I'm in a new place, I feel really excited, but I also feel nervous. All these places I've traveled to are so new, I get to experience so many new things. It's great, but sometimes I really miss home too, you know?" Ash nodded, understanding that sentiment. May rubbed the back of her neck before she played with the end of her white sundress. "But the thing is, when I first walked in here, I felt right at home because it felt so comfortable and familiar." She laughed at herself, wondering why it was so hard for her to just get her point across, to say how she felt. Her eyes gazed into his curious brown ones, this action somehow helping her gather her thoughts. "I guess what I'm trying to say is: thanks for making me feel right at home here," she said gratefully. "You too, Pikachu." Pikachu smiled, a small "Pika" escaping his lips.

Ash grinned; a warm, inviting grin. "Wow. That's an interesting way to put it," Ash said, his head leaning just a little closer.

.

They continued to talk, not realizing just how late it was. May looked down at her watch, her eyes widening at the time.

"Wow. We've been talking for hours."

"Wait, really? Oh no, I was supposed to train with Hau," Ash scowled, realizing he completely bailed on his training session with the Kahuna's son.

"Sorry I kept you," May apologized, a deep frown evident. Ash smiled apologetically, shaking his head.

"No, don't apologize. I don't regret it," he confessed, making May's stomach churn.

"I'm glad because it's been really nice talking to you," May confessed.

"Hey, you should bring your Torchic over to Professor Kukui's. I can show you around the Pokemon school if you like. I don't know if it'll be exciting for you, but well, it's actually really interesting to see the different pokemon other trainers have. It's where I went to school too, but I guess that's kind of lame to show around, huh." He chuckled, hoping to mask his nerves, but May caught on a bit.

"No, that sounds fine. I did say I wanted to explore more. I always stopped myself from traveling through any routes because of all the pokemon that might jump up. It seemed pretty dangerous to walk by myself," May said. "Especially someone who's inexperienced like me. But I'm sure if you're there, I'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah…"

May gave him a teasing smile, even winking at him. She giggled, enjoying the fact that she could tease him like this, like they've been friends for decades. His light pink cheeks said it worked, too.

Both stood from their seats, now a bit awkwardly. Neither wanted to say goodbye. They wanted to continue conversing.

"Hey, I know, why don't you come check it out tomorrow while you're still on this island? That's where I was going to meet my friends. If you're not too busy?" Ash questioned. Pikachu grinned too, hoping she would agree.

"Yeah, I'd love to," May accepted, grabbing her purse off her chair and dusting off her sundress.

"Awesome!" Ash offered May the last pistachio macaron, who declined, so Ash stuffed it in his mouth rather nonchalantly, making May giggle.

"Okay, now I really have to go," he said in between bites.

"Me too, I don't want to be out too late."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Ash said before waving goodbye. "We can meet here around the same time, 'kay?" May nodded.

"Sounds good. Bye Ash, Pikachu."

It may have seemed too forward for two familiar strangers to spend the whole day together, but for them, it felt like a reunion, like time stood still as they learned more about each other.

Her heart soared, excited to learn more about Ash Ketchum, a stranger that made her feel right at home.

.  
 _What else can I do?  
_ _We're just too good together to part  
_.

May had a hard time sleeping that night. She was too busy going over everything she learned about Ash and his Pikachu. She smiled, adoring the bond he shared with his Pikachu. It was something she never truly had with her pokemon.

Admittedly, she only picked a pokemon as an excuse to travel the world.

She looked at the black screen of her cellular phone, peering at it, trying to make a hard choice.

She left her Torchic in Hoenn, with her mother. She would take much better care of it than she ever could, so Torchic stayed in Petalburg.

However, Ash did mention how he would have loved to see it. She smiled to herself, never understanding how Ash could have such a strong bond like that with his pokemon. She had seen that with her brother when he started his pokemon journey, but she never understood it.

She finally came to the decision to dial her mother's number, wanting to learn more about their bond.

"Mom? Hi, how have you been? That's good, that's good. And dad?" She paused, wondering what her mother would think if she asked her. "That's good. I've been okay. I met a trainer like Max by the way - well not exactly like Max of course. He just likes pokemon a lot. Yeah, he's _crazy_ about pokemon too. I was actually thinking of showing him my Torchic." May blushed. "Mom, no, it's not like that! I just met the guy!" she denied, her face contorting and flustered. She listened to her mother's shifting tone as if she knew. "Mom!" May blushed harder. "I-I got to go, I'll talk to you later! Please, can you send me Torchic tomorrow morning? Thanks," May said, blushing madly as she ended the call.

"My mom is the worse," she said embarrassed, but she, of course, didn't mean it. Still, she didn't have to embarrass her in such a way, to suggest something so lewd! May's blush deepened, never wanting to repeat her words. She sighed, hoping her Torchic was well.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," May mumbled to herself, before squealing into her pillow.

May smiled to herself, turning of the lights and letting sleep overcome her.

.  
 _I've been searching and searching  
_ _Near and far  
_.

May took in a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," May thought, grabbing the pokeball that was transferred to her. She took a moment to look at it, feeling the ball in her hand as she scrutinized it and remembered how it felt when she first picked Torchic. It was the better one of the bunch to her.

However, as she left on her journey, she realized she had no idea what to do. She was too embarrassed to admit it, but she had no idea how to take care of it. She felt bad, so she went back home, and finally fessed up to her parents about wanting to just travel the world.

It was a mistake, she guessed, to pick her pokemon first, but her mother showed nothing but understanding, deciding to take Torchic in herself, or "take care of it" while she was away exploring new cities.

May frowned. She wondered if Torchic would remember her or care about her at all since she just ditched it.

"It's now or never," May said, before releasing Torchic out of its pokeball.

"Tor… chic?" Torchic's head tilted sideways, not understanding what was going on. May smiled, kneeling down.

"Hi, it's me, May. Umm," May scratched her cheek, scrambling for words. "I… I thought you might want to see Alola with me. If not, that's totally cool too… but you know… if you wanted to get out of the house for a bit… if you don't, like I said that's fine too, you don't-" May squeaked when she felt Torchic come up to her and nuzzle her arm.

"Torchic!" it chirped, just happy she was talking to it. May looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry for leaving you for so long," May cried, embracing the little pokemon. She was so insecure before. Even now, she still felt the same sentiment as before - she didn't think she could ever be cut out to take care of a pokemon. She never saw herself as an incredibly smart person, and she never thought she would have the knowledge or the skills to do so. Do something like train and compete like her brother, or her parents? There was not a chance that would happen.

She always thought she was following the right path, when she left Torchic in the care of her mother. She was following her heart, and she figured Torchic would be happier with her parents, who were more experienced than she ever was.

Yet, she still felt like something was missing. She had a longing for something greater. Greater than just exploring new restaurants, than just going to different hotels. She was so new to the world of pokemon, yet she never really understood what it meant to have a special bond like the one Ash and Pikachu had, or the one Max and his pokemon had (even then, a part of her would never really listen to her dorky brother who in her opinion, obsessed about pokemon).

May smiled, wiping her tears and picking her Torchic up.

"Hey, I got an idea. Why don't we hang out together, just you and me? I can show you this coffee shop I tried yesterday. It's where I held a pokemon besides you for the first time." May smiled, walking towards the same coffee shop that felt so familiar.

.  
 _Searching and searching  
_ _And there you are  
_.

May smiled, breaking off a piece of her rose-flavored macaron for Torchic to try.

"Here, why don't you try this?" Torchic took it in its beak, before chirping at the taste. May smiled, thankful.

She was nervous, never spending so much quality time with her pokemon before.

In truth, she was terrified she'd make a mistake, she would do something wrong. But it all seemed to be working out. She remembered when she first went to professor Birch's lab, where she commented how Torchic was the one that, "wasn't _so_ bad."

But now, she was thankful for this, not having it any other way. Torchic was so happy and understanding. She wished she had taken the time to really understand Torchic before this. It might have made her trips across the different regions less lonely. She wondered if this was what she was searching for, if this was what she was missing.

A ding rang throughout the small shop, indicating someone entered.

"I knew I'd find you here again. Hey May! And this must be your Torchic? Hey there," Ash greeted sitting down across from her.

"Pika," Pikachu said, before climbing down and greeting Torchic. Torchic smiled, greeting the yellow rodent.

"I guess they hit it off fast," May commented. Ash nodded, smiling.

"Did you and Torchic already eat breakfast? I figured if you were here, we could get some food and then head over to the school," Ash suggested. May smiled, agreeing.

"I invited my friend Hau to join us too, I hope that's okay. He can be a little over the top sometimes, but he's really nice."

"That's fine by me, the more the merrier."

They continued to converse, laugh, and eat – some of their favorite things to do.

.

When they finished their meal, they left the coffee shop, May suggesting he give her a tour while they head over to the pokemon school so they can let their food digest. Ash for one, was shocked by how much May could eat.

"Wow, you sure can eat a lot. I guess that's necessary for a food connoisseur," Ash joked. May's eyebrows furrowed, her hands now on her hips.

"Hey, you were eating just as much as I was, so you can't judge me!" May pointed an accusatory figure at him, making Ash chuckle.

"Believe me, I wasn't judging! I was just surprised! I'm usually always the one who eats the most," Ash explained. "No one can beat me."

"You're lucky it wasn't ramen, or you would have been creamed," May said a matter of factly.

"What? _No way_ ," Ash said in disbelief.

" _Yes way,_ " May stuck out her tongue teasingly. "And hey, aren't you supposed to be showing me around?" May teased. Ash sheepishly laughed, beginning his mock tour of Melemele Island.

"Sure, but first, a race!" Ash smirked, looking at Pikachu knowingly. One of May's eyebrows rose questioningly.

"Race?"

"Yeah, last one there has to pay for coffee tomorrow. Ready? Go!" Ash yelled before him and Pikachu took off. May was alarmed, looking from side to side before running after him.

"H-hey, wait a minute, I never agreed to this!" May complained, pouting a bit. "But I'm wearing sandals." She looked back at Torchic. "At least we'll be losing together," she said, before she tried to speed up with her pokemon.

.

May huffed, never running that fast before. Torchic was a little better off but not _too_ better off.

"That wasn't fair, was it?" Ash smiled at May's scowl. "I'll pay next time," he promised.

"Hey, who said there's going to _be_ a next time," she said in between breaths.

"Well, I was _hoping_ there would be." He offered her a big grin.

"Since you're paying… sure," May shrugged before giggling. "I'm kidding," May teased.

"About the paying or about there being a next time?" he asked, getting back to walking side by side.

"Let's just say, whether you pay or not, I think there should be a next time too," May agreed, making Ash shyly nod, a deep red blush across his cheeks.

.

When they finally made it to the school, they were met with annoyed, green eyes.

"You're late…" Ash was so shocked to see the blonde-haired man before him, still sporting dark clothes.

"G-Gladion? What are you doing here?" Hau sheepishly smiled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'm sorry but I forgot to mention that Gladion was going to hang out with us today," Hau explained. Gladion said nothing, his arms crossed as his expression annoyed. Hau looked over to May, who shyly smiled. Hau gave a hearty greeting. "Alola! You must be the May I've heard so much about!"

"Yes, I am. Alola!" May greeted back, before she waved at the two males.

"Hi," Gladion merely said, not being one for warm welcomes.

"It's nice to meet you both." Hau grinned.

"Nice to meet you too!" Hau said. "So you two know each other from somewhere? Ash mentioned that he was going to bring an extra friend with him today, but he never talked about you until yesterday."

"I think we know each other from somewhere, but neither of us remembers," Ash laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey, I heard about that before! Isn't that something like deja vu?" Hau questioned, his eyebrows curving upwards as he tried to recall the correct word.

"Seems about right," Gladion said.

"So, we're at the pokemon school. What's the plan?"

"Well, I figured we could tour the pokemon school so you could see the different classes happening and what they do. We can say hi to Professor Kukui and Principle Oak too. He's the cousin of Professor Oak." May's eyes light up at the name.

"Professor Oak? Oh, I know him! My brother used to listen to all his shows and try to use all his haikus!" May recalled.

"After that, fireworks!" Hau cheered. Gladion gave Hau a sideways glare, annoyed because Hau screamed that a little _too_ close to his ear.

"Fireworks?" May questioned. Ash nodded.

"Yeah, they're celebrating the festival honoring Tapu Koko, so there will be fireworks tonight. We're going to the highest point in Mele Mele Island and watching the fireworks from there," he explained. "I was going to wait to ask you since I wasn't sure if you'd be busy tonight."

"I'm not too busy, especially when fireworks are involved," May said, excited for the firework display. Ash grinned, happy for her response.

"Alright, now we can take a look around the Pokemon school," Ash said, beginning their tour.

.

"I can't believe this is your first time being with so many pokemon," Hau said. "Or you didn't like them at all!"

"Well, some pokemon didn't like me too," May tried to reason, pouting.

"Hau's only saying that because you're a natural, May!" Ash explained. "They may not have liked you before, but they sure like you now!"

"You have to open your heart first," Gladion chimed in whilst he groomed petting his lycanroc.

"Yeah, when Ash told me you didn't like pokemon as much, I thought we would have another Lillie on our hands," Hau explained.

"Lillie?"

"Oh, yeah, that's our friend, Gladion's sister. She used to be afraid of touching pokemon. But that's a long story," Ash said, figuring she wouldn't want to hear it.

"I have time," May said.

"Not something to be talking about so casually, _Ash_ ," Gladion reminded, his eyes peering at the man. May got the hint.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude like that," May apologized.

"Don't worry. It's all in the past now so it should be fine. But long story short: when we were kids, Lillie was afraid of touching pokemon until she finally faced her fears at some point," Ash explained.

"Wow, that's great. I hope it's not too late for me," May laughed.

"It's never too late. Plus, like I said before: you're a natural," Ash complimented. May blushed, thanking him.

"It's just so interesting. I never knew there were even different forms of pokemon depending on the region. That's incredible." May said, truly fascinated by the different pokemon around. She clutched onto her Torchic, enjoying herself here. "I could stay here all day if I could."

"You did," Gladion corrected.

Hau checked his watch.

"Oh man, you're right, we need to go find a good spot to watch the fireworks," Hau exclaimed, flailing his arms. "Mallow, Lana, and Kawei are probably almost there by now!"

So they were off.

.

"Man, if I would have known we were going to be hiking through the woods, I would have better prepared," May grumbled, trying really hard not to slip or touch anything.

"Sorry about that," Ash said, realizing he should have given her a heads up.

"It's fine, it's fine. It's actually kind of cool exploring like this," May said, looking around.

However, when she heard a stark sound by her feet, she jumped, a sharp scream piercing through the air.

She jumped back, off guard; when she landed, nearly twisting her ankle in the process because of her bad landing, falling on her butt as she was creeped out by what was possibly lurking in the bushes.

"W-what's that?" May stuttered. Hau checked the bushes, and just then, a grubbin surged out before digging a hole and making its exit.

"Oh, it was just a grubbin. Nothing to worry about, May," Ash reassured.

"R-right," May said, trying to calm her nerves. Ash extended his hand, and she gladly took it.

"If you want I can help you out, I know you're not used to this stuff." Ash pulled her up, one hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Thanks," May said, staying close and tightening her grip.

"It's fine. Here, I can just guide you, if you don't mind," Ash said politely. And May nodded, grateful for his chivalrous offer.

Pikachu and Torchic walked ahead with Hau and Gladion, all occasionally stopping to make sure the two slowbros didn't get lost.

As they were walking, May looked up past the canopy and was captivated by the shimmering stars.

"Beautiful."

"Isn't it? This is why I like camping out so much. It's always so nice being near the pokemon, looking up to the sky," he told her. May continued to look, taking this moment in.

"I see what you mean. I always stayed close to cities, so it was never dark enough to see so many stars!" May said, still in wonderment. Her eyes sparkled like the shining stars in sight completely enchanted by the sky, the stars, the scene, _him._

It all felt so _perfect._

It was like seeing a new perspective for the first time. It blew her mind, made her wonder, question everything she thought she knew. This whole day, since meeting Ash Ketchum actually, made her feel this way - a warm, tingly feeling in her heart, a sense of purpose, a feeling of happiness.

She didn't want it to stop.

"Hey, look! There's a shooting star!" He pointed. "Make a wish, May," Ash urged her.

And she did.

She closed her eyes and made a wish.

.  
 _And there you are  
_ _Our wishes share a star  
_.

May was thankful when she finally sat down.

"Safe," Ash said, tumbling down with her, their bodies hitting the soft grass.

She was grateful for Ash, guiding her as he sat down with her, their hands still interlocked together. Pikachu and Torchic sat in front of the two. Hau sat to their left, while Gladion stood next to Hau, waiting for the rest of their group to show up.

May moved her hand away to dust off her sundress, but she immediately regretted letting go of his hand. Although she figured he wouldn't be too keen on her keeping his hand with her for the whole night.

"Thanks, Ash. I really appreciate that."

"Are you ready to see some fireworks?" Ash asked, his eyes lighting up like an excited child. May nodded, but her eyes were still captivated by the myriad of glimmering stars.

"I look up right now, and it already looks so wonderful. I've seen a lot of fireworks during festivals before. They're all very nice to look at. But the stars at night, like this? It's my first time really seeing the stars. It's funny what you don't see when there's so much in the way. I never knew how many there were up there." May said, her eyes gazing towards every star, wondering how so many can form, how they can see them from so far away, how so many could just lay on the dark blanket that is the sky, twinkling and shining for their viewing pleasure.

"Hey, Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for showing me the stars."

.  
 _Did we just scale the top of a mountain, and  
_ _Fly back home again?  
_.

May looked up to her ceiling, desperately wishing for the stars instead of the bland ceiling.

She was becoming more and more aware of herself, as if she was discovering little pieces of who she is little by little.

And it was all thanks to Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu.

She smiled, happily, before she turned to her side, watching Torchic peacefully slumber.

"Torchic, I don't know if you can hear me… but… I want to try catching another pokemon." For the first time, she felt excited, happy at the idea of making another new friend.

"What am I doing? I'm acting like Max all of a sudden," May said to herself, embarrassed. But it was fun, daring.

She didn't feel so worried anymore. Her heart was washed away by the fears she once had, of the feeling of not being good enough.

They may still pop up from time to time, but now she had the tools to wash them away.

"All of Ash's friends, they're so good with their pokemon. I wonder if I'll ever feel that way," May thought, a smile over her face as she reminisced about the recent adventure she had with all of Ash's friends. The rest of his friends showed up before the fireworks started, and she was able to see just how awesome and friendly they all were.

They were older or the same age as her, some of them even in their 20s now. Yet they still found their inner child that she seemed to lock away in her heart. But Ash had an intoxicating smile, the one that made her laugh at his silliness, or the way she felt like she could truly be herself, talk to him all night about anything and everything.

It was a wonderful feeling.

"If I didn't know any better… I'd say Ash was my soulmate," May giggled, her cheeks a deep shade of red as she let that thought sink in.

It felt so right to say.

And she was met with an Ash in her dreams. One she had known for a lifetime. An Ash Ketchum who she had met jumping off a cliff to save his Pikachu.

But she knew it was just a dream.

It wasn't real.

Still, it was nice, comforting, and warm.

.  
 _And...what'd'ya know?  
_ _Just like long ago  
_.

May frowned.

"I thought this was a vacation, so I mostly packed vacation clothes. But you know, if I'm going to try going out and catching my first pokemon, I'm probably going to need my old shorts," May thought, making a mental note to ask her mom to send her some over. She tied the knot on her bow, surveying herself in the mirror. She sported white shorts, navy blue spandex underneath, and a red tank top. Her fist clenched, pumped and ready for what today had to offer.

"Alright! Let's do this!" May shouted. "You ready Torchic?" she asked. Torchic chirped cheerfully, ready for anything. May placed Torchic in its pokeball, then ran out the hotel door, ready to take on the world.

Ash and May made it a habit of meeting at the coffee shop. Ash was waiting with two cups of coffee and a small plate of macarons. May's face light up.

"Good morning, Ash, Pikachu," May greeted, petting Pikachu's head before she sat down and let Torchic out of its pokeball.

"Pika!"

"Tor-chic-chic!"

"Morning! All ready for you, just like I promised," Ash said, a big grin plastered on his face.

"You're the best," May complimented, thanking him for his generosity.

"Are you ready to catch a pokemon for the first time?" he questioned. May smirked, pumping her fist in the air.

"More than ever!"

"Aah, so this is where you two met. Yeah, this is a great place," Hau said, walking in with Mallow and Kiawe.

"Alola!" they greeted.

"Alola!"

Mallow smiled, clasping her hands together at the cute sight of Ash and May together.

"And to think, we thought he would be dense forever," Mallow laughed, wiping an invisible tear from her cheek. Ash blushed, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to explain himself.

"H-hey," Ash started, but had no means of where his sentence was going. Mallow merely giggled, shaking her head at Ash's antics.

"So May, I heard you wanted to try to catch a pokemon for the very first time?" Mallow asked, interested. May nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, I figured it was about time," May exclaimed, her fist clenched and ready to go.

"Cool, do you mind if we join you two?"

"Not at all!" May smiled.

"Okay, awesome, we'll just grab some coffee to go and we'll be heading out!" Mallow giggled. "This reminds me of the time Ash tried to catch that grubbin," she laughed.

"What happened?" May asked, extremely curious now. Mallow was just about to say, when Ash covered her mouth, not wanting May to hear.

"So, yeah, about that pokemon though… let's get going," Ash laughed nervously, hoping to change the subject, Mallow moved away, growing annoyed, and the rest laughed at their antics.

Plan of action: Step 1. Get May a pokedex from Professor Kukui. Step 2. Catch a pokemon. Step 3. Profit.

.  
 _I've been looking and looking  
_ _High and low  
_.

May tried to become as aware as she could, her eyes examining every bush, every tree, every hill.

Ash raised a questionable brow. They had just left Professor Kukui's home, ready to help May catch a pokemon.

"Um… May, I don't think you're going to find any pokemon looking like that!"

"But, I have to make sure I'm more aware and observant to find one!" May said, her eyes sharp and waiting for anything that might pop up. Mallow giggled a little and Hau grinned, cheering her on.

"That's the spirit! I'll help you!" Hau offered, looking alongside her. Kiawe just shrugged, shaking his head.

"Hey, May? First, let's talk about what kind of pokemon you would want to have with you," Ash called to her.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Like what kind of pokemon are you looking for?" May thought for a minute.

"Well, I guess a cute one. Definitely a cute one!" May said. "One like my Torchic that will love me no matter what!" May said, her eyes gleaming. Ash sweatdropped.

"Cute?" Mallow thought for a moment before a light bulb brightened on top her head. "Oh, I know! Cutiefly!" she exclaimed.

"Well, it certainly sounds cute!" May grinned, ready to do whatever it took. "Okay, let's find one!" May exclaimed, striking a spirited pose.

"Um… do you even know what it looks like?" Kiawe questioned. May furrowed her brows, pausing her small pose before she shook her head, sticking out her tongue sheepishly.

"Well, the first thing you can do is take out your pokedex," Ash suggested. May nodded.

"R-right," she said, taking it out and trying to find a cutefly. "Ah, here it is! Aww, it is cute!" she squealed.

"Usually, the pokedex also says where you can find one too," Kiawe chimed in. May nodded.

"Right, right!" May agreed, scrolling through the information.

" _Cutifly, the Bee Fly Pokemon. A bug and fairy type. It feeds on the nectar and pollen of flowers. Because it's able to sense auras, it can identify which flowers are about to bloom. Myriads of Cutifly flutter above the heads of people who have auras resembling those of flowers. However, when a living creature is excited, its aura resembles a flower in full bloom. As a result, Cutiefly tends to gather around beings feeling strong emotions,"_ the pokedex said. May smiled.

"I want it!"

"I'm pretty sure they can be found in the Melemele island meadows!" Mallow said. May grinned, nodding.

"I'm ready for you!" May exclaimed.

.

When they arrived, May was captivated by all the yellow flowers.

"Beautiful," was all she could say, too enchanted by the aesthetics.

"It's that time of year again. It smells amazing," Mallow mentioned. Her steenee smiled, enjoying scents of the flowers. May squatted down, taking a moment to smell the flowers too. May closed her eyes, relaxing her muscles and enjoying the fresh aroma of flowers.

Ash smiled, squatting down next to her and picking a small flower before putting it up to her nose.

"You're right, they are nice." Ash handed the little flower to her, and she smirked, putting it in his hair.

"H-hey," he pouted before she giggled.

Mallow smirked, looking over at the two. She turned to Hau and Kiawe.

"Wow, who would have thought he would grow up?" Mallow giggled, adoring the sight. "I can't wait to tell Lillie and Lana," she said in between giggles. Both boys quirked an eyebrow, before shrugging.

.

It took the whole day to catch _one_ pokemon.

May grew frustrated, her hands on her hips as she tried to throw the pokeball, but the cutiefly immediately smacked it away, hitting May's head in the process.

"You have to battle it," Ash tried to help.

"Right." And she tried that. But it was one of her first times doing so. And that ended badly too.

However, when she had finally given up, she laid spread out in the meadow, hoping that would relax her.

It was then, one lonely Cutiefly with its pale yellow body and large eyes, landed on her nose. It was then that she grabbed some pokefood she had in her fanny pack, that it befriended her.

Ash and Pikachu couldn't stop laughing.

.

Ash grinned.

"You did pretty well."

"It doesn't count though, right? I didn't battle it like the other's said to. I didn't weaken it before it I caught it in the pokeball." May frowned. She shook her head. "Well, either way, it was really cool to make friends with it." She grinned, looking up to the setting sun.

"If I'm being honest, that's usually how I caught my pokemon. That just made our bond stronger, though. If they want to stay with me, then that made me so happy. They weren't forced to join me, we became friends first and they wanted to battle with me." May was fascinated, before smiling at the idea.

"That's cool, Ash."

May pondered for a second.

"I wonder… why it decided to land on me," she thought. Still, she smiled, knowing she wanted to find out.

.  
 _What else can I do?  
_ _We're just too good together to part  
_.

May stayed in Alola much longer than usual.

She decided to help out Ash and his friends organize the first ever pokemon league. May was excited, a whole new perspective, a new world of competitive battling revealing itself to her. Alola was different in that there were no gyms, but Trial Captains and Kahuna's that a trainer faces in order to receive Z Crystals in order to enter the pokemon league. It was something she was amazed by.

In the following week, she came to understand why Ash Ketchum was considered one of the better trainers. She understood how he was able to beat her father all those years ago, and how he entered so many leagues in the past.

She watched him in his element, and it was easy to tell that this was what he was born to do.

She thought about her food blog the more she stayed in Alola, and wondered if that was what she was meant to do.

She frowned, knowing that she was much happier taking care of her pokemon than writing in her blog. It was a nice hobby, but she didn't want to make that her career. She wanted to do something important, she always knew this. She wanted to aspire to something greater. She went on the path she thought was right for her, she followed her heart, and she stuck with it because she thought it would always take her down the same path.

But now, she realized her heart was singing a different melody.

She realized this the night Ash took her to see the stars again. Ash and May laid together, side by side, while Pikachu and Torchic were on the opposite side, all making a circle around each other. The night was a little chilly, but still refreshing enough to be out in casual clothes. The breeze blew lightly, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

It made it easier to see the stars.

"Hey, so the Alolan Pokemon League is finally going to be starting now that Professor Kukui has it all ready. There's going to be a lot of trainers coming in and competing. And I'm going to try challenging the Captains and Kahuna's again to officially enter and maybe become Champion. It's a good year, I can feel it," Ash said, opening up to May. May looked at him, a brilliant smile on her face.

"Ash, you're great with pokemon and a great battler. You've been doing it for years, so I know you'll do great. I don't think you have anything to worry about," she said honestly. "I heard the stories of you entering the pokemon league before, so I have no doubt you'll do well again," May reassured him. Ash frowned.

"You know, I hadn't participated in a Pokemon League since I was a teenager. The last time was the Kalos league. After that, I went to Alola and started going to the school instead."

"Why didn't you participate anymore?" May turned her head, watching Ash's dejected eyes stare up to the stars.

Ash frowned, looking frustrated.

"I haven't gotten as far as I wanted. It felt like I was hitting a wall. I never won a league, and it's been so frustrating," Ash explained.

"But you seem so confident," May blurted out. Ash looked over to her, before beaming at her compliment.

"Thanks. That's because I've been training more. But still, I've been pretty bummed out for a long time after losing so much. I wondered if I'd ever become a Pokemon Master. I was basically trying the same method and it didn't help. I figured I should try something else… so I took a break and started training until I built up more skills. Instead of joining any leagues, I'd battle the Frontier Brains of different regions. Or try to battle Elite Fours from different regions, but it was hard to convince them." Ash laughed, reminiscing about his past obstacles in trying to even get a battle with some of them. May merely closed her eyes, thinking about what she wanted to say before she turned to him and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I think you'll become a Pokemon Master. From what I hear and see, although I've only met you… I can tell that you're someone who won't give up. From what I've seen, you're amazing. You know what you want to do, and it looks like, even if you did take a break, you're still going to get back to it, because that's the kind of person you are," May explained. Ash sat up for a moment, watching her.

May blushed, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong?" she questioned, feeling incredibly shy at the moment. He looked speechless, his eyes staring at her through the moonlight night.

She averted her gaze, her blush growing a deeper shade of red.

He shook his head, finally realizing he was staring too long. He massaged his shoulder blades, chuckling and trying to cut the tension he had just created.

"Sorry, nothing's wrong. Just… I wasn't sure why, but I felt that Professor Kukui's call to me about starting a new league here was my chance to be something more, to finally really go for my dream. I figured it was a sign."

"…" May was astounded, her eyes locked with his. She was sure that at this point, her heart was beating over a thousand beats per minute. But she didn't know that Ash's heart was beating similarly, pausing his words only to keep his nerves in check.

"So I came back, and now I think I know why," Ash finished. May processed his words, completely flabbergasted. She was surprised that he was so dejected at one point. He didn't seem like that when they first met. He seemed confident, sure of himself.

In a way, they were pretty similar.

.  
 _What we've shared from the start  
_ _Feels like one beating heart  
_.

It was a few minutes till midnight, when both her Torchic and Pikachu were fast asleep, leaning against each other, that she had the courage to say what she wanted to say to him.

"That night, my wish was to stay looking up at the stars with you, Ash." Ash looked over, completely taken back by her confession.

"Huh?"

"And I wanted you to keep holding me while you did," she said, moving closer, the closer she did, the more comfortable she felt in his arms. She couldn't see it, but she knew his face was as red as hers if the heat radiating from his skin said anything.

There came a point, where their faces grazed each other's, and it was so dark they were so nervous and clumsily on where their heads should go and where their faces should be looking at and where to keep their hands.

"How long are you staying?" Ash asked, laying down beside her and wrapping his arms around her petite body.

"I don't know. All I know is I don't want to leave," May confessed.

"I don't want you to leave either." It hadn't been too long since they first met. Saying how she felt would probably mean that she was being way too forward and going way too fast in their developing… _something._ But she knew how she felt still. They felt like kindred spirits in some ways, even when they had very different perspectives on the world, on their futures – when she was with him, things became clearer, like she had moments of clarity that would make her feel better about the missing pieces of her heart.

She didn't know if she had the will to admit how she felt, but she just knew what she wanted.

"I want to travel with you, I want to watch you become a Pokemon Master, because I already know you will," May confessed, tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to stay with him. She wanted nights like this again, where they could just sit down in front of the stars and open their hearts to each other.

"Of course you can travel with me. May, you don't even have to ask," Ash said, letting her go and offering a reassuring smile, and again, the same clarity she felt returned – even on such a dark chilly night, the stars brightened the sky enough so she could see his radiant smile that always seemed to warm her heart.

They never really talked about what they had, but whatever it was, it felt like the only thing that was clear at the moment.

.  
 _I'd know you anywhere  
_.

It took May a while to remember their first interaction.

All the time they spent together, she would always try to figure out where she saw him, trying to match his face to other passerby's she would come across when she traveled.

It was only later on, the night before Ash was going to challenge the finalist to see who became champion, that she remembered. Ash was a fit of nerves, afraid of what was going to happen. If he was going to come up short once again. All his Pokemon, May, Professor Kukui, and Hau were trying to lighten the mood, but it still didn't ease his nerves. Hau, although he participated, lost, but was still in the final eight. Still he wanted to cheer both Gladion and Ash on for a job well done.

Nothing seemed to work, however. Usually, he was so sure of himself, but tomorrow was going to be the culmination of all his past efforts. And if he came up short, it would be his own fault – it would have been all on him, which means he would let his pokemon down once again.

It was something he didn't want to think about, but now it was pounding in his head, and it made him scared and pretty moody, trying not to get distracted by anything or anyone.

"I remember how we met," May said in between hiccups, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

"How?"

"I remember you asked me for directions once. You yelled, trying to grab my attention while I was fixing up my bandana, and then you asked me the direction to the Pokemon Center," May said in between a mixture of laughter and sobs.

"That's it?" Ash said confused, wondering if that was really how they had initially met. May nodded.

"Yeah, I remember now. Your face seemed so familiar, but that's probably because I didn't remember anything else about you," May reasoned.

"No, that can't be it, right? I don't know if I should be saying this. I probably sound crazy to you, but you seemed special to me, from the first time I saw you, May."

"I thought so too. I felt the same way. But... You just stopped and asked for directions. What's so interesting about that?" May laughed. Ash beamed tenderly.

"I think there's a funny way of having certain people that will be important in your life come back to you. I don't know," Ash offered, trying to recall it. He didn't have the best memory, especially when he had so many adventures. Still, a part of him wished he remembered.

"Ash, no matter what happens, you need to keep journeying, keep asking for directions, keep moving forward, and I know you will. I believe in you, all of us here believe in you," she explained, hoping this helped. Her fingers moved to his, interlocking with his. She gave a small squeeze, helping him remember that she was still there along with all his other friends.

Ash smiled.

"Thanks, May. That does help," he said, feeling just a little less nervous for tomorrow.

.

Throughout her journey across Alola with Ash, May felt a longing. She got better with battling, with pokemon, but her purpose still felt missing.

When Ash won the Alolan League, it made her question her own life, what she would do.

She saw the look in his eyes, and of course felt happy for him, but wondered if she would ever feel the same way he did in that moment, knowing his dreams were coming true, knowing he was one step closer to his goal.

As she traveled, she still wrote, but it wasn't her life goal. It was just a pastime. And it made her sad, knowing she wasn't close to finding her way, the missing pieces to her puzzle.

It was in that moment, the final blow in Ash's battle, when the applause began, and his eyes light up, the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face, that she wondered what she would have to do to find her purpose, find her passion.

She'd given him directions to a nearby pokemon center, while he gave her directions to truly live a life she wanted to find herself.

And it broke her heart.

.  
 _Here comes trouble  
_ _No mistaking  
_.

May sighed.

She took a sip of her coffee, in a different coffee shop. She frowned, looking down at the steam coming up.

The atmosphere in the coffee shop felt different from the other one. The sounds didn't blend well anymore, the soft jazz was different than the one she was used to. The barista was friendly enough, but she didn't know that May adds honey in her coffee instead of the cubes of sugar. May sighed, looking down at the hot beverage, a sad smile forming when she realized things weren't going to be the same any longer.

Things would be different now.

But it was something she had to be okay with. He came into her life so unexpectedly and helped her see a part of herself she never knew existed. He helped her grow as a person and helped her gain a new perspective, challenging her old beliefs.

She looked over to Ash who was outside the coffee shop, still talking to the reporters who were excited to have "Alola's first champion." She smiled, truly happy for him.

But still, it was not the same.

This didn't feel warm, it didn't feel cozy or made her feel at home.

Maybe it wasn't the coffee shop, but the fact that she was drinking tea by herself.

They seemed to follow him around now that he's won.

She felt so far behind from him. But he realized his goal much quicker than her. He knew since he was ten years old. Before she met Ash and Pikachu, she didn't even like pokemon.

May sighed, smiling despite herself. She came a long way.

And it was because of Ash. He was the one who came into her life and changed everything she once knew, the one who made her path less hazy. He helped her see clarity.

"They say soulmates are meant to come into your life, but they're not meant to stay," May said to herself, looking out the window with a devastating look on her. Her fingers moved to her chest, feeling her heartbeat, and she wondered if they could come together again someday. She watched Ash and Pikachu move through the crowd, making quick statements for the news outlets and sheepishly smiling, not at all used to the fame.

It was then, their eyes met, and Ash gave her a smile that took her breath away. Her cheeks heated, not at all understanding how he could make her feel this way so easily. It was as though her heart could stop, yet start beating so fast, all in the same breath.

It was torturous, the way her heart conflicted like that.

"It's not like it's forever, though," she had to tell herself after seeing the same smile of warmth she did when they first met.

She looked down to her cup of coffee, wondering if this was the right choice.

She was introduced to other types of things besides pokemon trainers, like coordinators, performers, etc.

She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to follow her gut and try coordinating. She remembered looking at a magazine, with a picture of a gorgeous woman with her milotic on the cover. She wanted to be like that, she wanted to be like her too. It was something she felt she wanted to try. She wasn't sure why, but she felt it would be something her cutiefly would do really well in too. She never tried before because she never believed in herself; she never thought it was possible to become as great as the people who have been doing this for so long.

But anyone could start. May looked at her hands, wondering if this was the right path to take.

.

It took Ash a while to finally step into the café.

By the time he did, his coffee was lukewarm. His once hot pastry was cold.

"Ah, sorry, May!" he apologized, rushing to sit down.

"Pika!"

"They wouldn't let me go! They just held on and kept asking me questions," Ash scratched the top of his head, feeling uncomfortable about the whole situation.

"It's okay, Ash, I get it," May poignantly smiled. It seemed bittersweet.

"Thanks, May, for ordering us our food and understanding. Again, sorry it took so long. It felt like the minute I went down to the lobby, everyone was trying to talk to me. It's crazy!" Ash said, completely overwhelmed. May smiled.

"Yeah, it must be really tough now."

Ash shrugged. "I hope this blows over soon," he wished.

"Oh, come on, you don't like it a little?"

"Okay, yeah, it's kind of cool. I never got attention like this before. Just feels like I don't have much time to myself anymore," he explained, sighing with exhaustion. "I thought training was tough, but this is on a whole new level." They both chuckled.

"You'll get used to it. Especially if you're gonna be a pokemon master, right?" May winked. "It looks like you're on your way." Ash nodded, a huge beam shining brightly.

"Yeah, I'm super excited. My pokemon worked really hard," Ash said, his hand caressing pikachu's cheek.

"Cha!"

"What are you going to do next, Ash?" May asked curiously. Ash thought for a moment.

"Well since I'm the champion, I have the opportunity to challenge the Elite Four now!" he explained, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Other than that, I'm not really sure. I don't really think there's a manual for this kind of stuff, you know?" May nodded sadly. Ash frowned, his hand moving to hers.

"May, what's wrong?" he asked. May didn't answer for a moment. She was trying to figure out a way to let him know. She looked down at her coffee, leaning against the wooden table. "May?" he reiterated, trying to look into her sapphire blue eyes, however, her gaze was averted, making it difficult. But Ash was never one to give up.

Finally, she looked up at him, a sad smile forming and scaring both him and Pikachu.

"Do you believe in soulmates?" May smiled a distressing smile.

Ash tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows, not entirely sure what she was getting at with this.

"I've heard of it. Being with the person you're meant to be with or something romantic like that, right?" He scratched his cheek, trying to think back to when Mallow, Lillie, and Lana tried to get him to read a romance novel to finally get relationships once upon a time. That word definitely came up a lot, and all three girls tended to gush at the idea.

"Not exactly. Most of the time, soulmates come in your life and then go. That's what I've read anyways," May began. Ash looked at her questioningly.

"But what does that have to do with anything?" he wondered, not sure where she was getting at with this. May blushed, turning her head away as she fiddled with the black frills of her shirt.

"Sometimes, I think we're soulmates," she declares, making Ash's eyes widen. "Because of that, I don't know if we'll be in each other's life for long," May said, concerned. Ash frowned.

"If... if that's true, then I hope you don't go forever."

"I look at you, and I feel like I am missing something, too. That fire that you have when you're battling…I want that. But the heartbreaking thing about it… I don't think I'll find it here," May cried, wiping away tears. Her eyes bore an intensity he had never seen before. She was so serious it hurt. But she realized she still doesn't know what she is doing. A part of her feels missing, even with awesome pokemon. She was introduced to pokemon and she was able to bond with them because of Ash… but all she was doing is watching Ash, like she was imitating him in a sense. She didn't want to turn into Ash. She loved him, but she didn't want to become Ash. She wanted to be May… and to be true to herself, she had to figure out who she was. "So I'm leaving."

"May, no… please don't go. I love you," he declared, his fist over his heart. Tears fell from his eyes, and May frowned, moving up to him and wiping away his tears, a sad smile appearing.

"I love you too, Ash. I did for a while now. But this is something I have to do. I... I was thinking I might try coordinating," she explained. Ash looked devastated, but soon smiled, knowing she was finally following her dreams and going after what she wanted.

"It won't be forever... so don't ever forget about me again…" she added, a sad, ironic giggle forming.

"Never again," he promised, his hand over hers, his grip tightening.

Their lips met one last time before she had to say goodbye.

.  
 _As the planet spins around  
_ _We're eternally bound  
_.

"You're back so soon, dear?" Caroline questioned, wondering why May was back all of a sudden. She hugged her mother tightly, happy to finally be home.

"And I see Torchic is with you, how cute, it looks like you finally want to be a pokemon trainer. I didn't know what to tell Torchic when she first stayed with me," Caroline said. "I knew you'd come around eventually.

"Yeah, it took 18 years for me to get used to pokemon," May laughed, Caroline as well. Caroline smirked, her eyebrow rising as she wanted to get to the real gossip.

"So, May, who was that boy you have failed to introduce me to still?" Caroline questioned with a smirk and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Mom!" May blushed.

May tilted her head when she heard a ding on the door.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"Who could that be? Maybe your brother?" Caroline wondered excitedly, running to the door.

"Hi, you must be Mrs. Maple, right? I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is my buddy Pikachu," Ash greeted, nervous yet still trying to make a good impression.

"Oh, so _this_ is the Ash Ketchum I heard so much about?" Caroline smirked. May's blush deepened.

"Mom!" she tried to quiet her. "You're embarrassing me!" she whispered, albeit rather loudly. Caroline merely giggled, looking back and forth between the two.

"Ash, what are you doing here?" May questioned.

"I thought a lot about what you said, May. And you helped me realize that you were right. Being Champion is not the same as being a Pokemon Master. I don't want to just sit somewhere waiting for trainers to face me or anything like that. I still have so much to learn. All this time, my favorite part of my journey was the experiences I had with Pikachu and my other pokemon, traveling, and meeting a lot of new people and pokemon alike. There's way too much to explore to just sit in one place. You said you were going to travel too, right? Then, we should go together, May."

May bit the bottom of her lip.

"I'm not ready to let you go, May," Ash confessed, moving forward, his hands around her waist. "You were there for me through every step of the way in my journey to become a champion. You might not be able to find what you're looking for in Alola, but wherever you go to find it, I choose to be with you when you do."

May wiped away her tears before she wrapped her arms around his neck, getting on her tippy toes and having their lips meet.

When their lips met, everything that was wrong suddenly felt right, like it would all be okay.

The same warmth returned, and her insides churned with happiness.

"Ash I wasn't sure where I needed to go, and I felt like I had to go away to really find myself. I felt behind, but you're right. The journey, the experiences we shared was the most important. That was the best time I had when I was with my pokemon, Pikachu, and you."

They were just passerby's once, just strangers trying to find their way through life. Now, together, their strength was insurmountable, their paths merged, forging a new path towards their future.

 _"And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you, and I'd choose you."_

.  
 _I could sail to the ends of the ocean and  
_ _Find you waiting there  
_.  
 _I choose you  
_ _I choose you  
_.

AN: Aside, _even if there's an alternative reality, universe or previous life before we met, I still choose you, no matter how far away or distant, because I love all my Advancer friends and fellow_ advanceshipping _buddies. Thanks for being my friends and choosing me too. :3_

If you haven't watched Pokemon: I Choose You (or the end credits), you won't know that this in fact is technically a song fic. ;) First one too. What do you think? Song fics get the stigma of being really lame and horrible. Even so, I'd still love to hear how you feel about my take on one! :D

How did you like my first Advanceshipping romance story (because the others are more friendship except It's Enough)? ^^ Please review and let me know what you think! AS you can see, I worked insanely hard on this thanks!


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